Differences in Tic Severity Amongst Adolescent Girls and Boys with Tourette Syndrome During the Pandemic.

Objective Limited data is available regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescents with Tourette Syndrome (TS). We sought to compare sex differences in tic severity experienced by adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We extracted from the electronic health record and retrospectively reviewed Yale Global Tic Severity Scores (YGTSS) from adolescents (ages 13 through 17) with TS presenting to our clinic before (36 months) and during (24 months) the pandemic. Results A total of 373 unique adolescent patient encounters (pre-pandemic: 199; pandemic: 173) were identified. Compared to pre-pandemic, girls accounted for a significantly greater proportion of visits during the pandemic (p<0.001). Pre-pandemic, tic severity did not differ between girls and boys. During the pandemic, compared to girls, boys had less clinically severe tics (p=0.003). During the pandemic, older girls, but not boys, had less clinically severe tics (ρ=-0.32, p=0.003). Discussion These findings provide evidence that, regarding tic severity assessed with YGTSS, the experiences of adolescent girls and boys with TS have differed during the pandemic.